Tag Archives: dead’

Detectives are investigating the death of a 23-year-old man whose body was found in Forest Park Wednesday afternoon as a homicide, police sources said.

Two park-goers found the body of Diego Piedrahita near Park Lane South and Woodhaven Boulevard at about 3:25 p.m., according to authorities. The man had suffered from what was described as blunt force trauma to the head.

Officers from the 102nd Precinct and EMS responded to the scene and pronounced Piedrahita, a resident of Booth Memorial Avenue in Flushing, deceased at the scene.

The preliminary investigation indicated that he may have been dead for at least 10 to 12 hours before his body was found, police sources said. His wallet and identification were found at the scene and there were no signs of a robbery. The victim did not have a criminal record.

The medical examiner is determining the cause of death.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or can text their tips to CRIMES (274637), then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.

Vince O’Connor, the legendary and beloved football coach at St. Francis Prep for more than six decades, died on Friday night. He was 85.

Sources close to O’Connor said he passed away at his daughter’s home in Floral Park.

News of O’Connor’s death came as a blow to students, colleagues and the thousands of alumni whose lives he touched during 62 years as football coach. He has been at the helm of the school’s football team since 1952 when St. Francis Prep was at North Sixth Street in Brooklyn.

Hundreds of people who knew O’Connor came out to show their respect at his wake on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the school is expecting a large crowd to be at the funeral, which will take place Thursday at 10:30 a.m. in the school’s auditorium.

During his storied career, O’Connor amassed more than 300 victories to be among the top two winningest football coaches in state history. His teams have won 16 CHSFL titles, including 14 at the highest level, and he has coached nine players who went on to the NFL.

But his greatest legacy may be the tight-knit community that he helped build around the school and his football program. With rare exceptions, all of his assistant coaches over the years have come from the ranks of his former players.

O’Connor, friends said, never intended to retire despite his age.

“I enjoy what I do. It’s as simple as that,” he said in a published report two years ago.

Under Coach O’Connor, the Terriers posted undefeated seasons in 1957, 1964, 1966, 1972, 1973 and 1983. In 1992, he was honored as National Coach of the year.

O’Connor has been named New York’s Catholic High School Coach of the Year 20 times and he has served as president of the CHSFL. He was selected in 2000 for the Frank McGuire Foundation Award, which recognizes high school coaches for their positive impact on students.

He is survived by his wife Mary, his daughter Rose and her three children, Patrick, Connor and Dylan.

An early morning house fire in Jamaica left one man dead and his elderly mother injured, authorities said.

The fire started just after 3:30 a.m. on Monday in the basement of the two-story home on 118th Road near Marsden Street, authorities said. It took firefighters until about 5:10 a.m. to control the flames.

Two residents were taken to area hospitals, according to police.

An 89-year-old woman was transported to Franklin Hospital in stable condition. Her 64-year-old son was taken to Queens Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead. His identity has not been released by police.

The San-Francisco-based artist Jim Campbell, best known for his evocative low resolution works, is the subject of a major solo exhibition at the Museum of the Moving Image, spanning his 30-year career and featuring over 20 installations. The works range from early experimental film, interactive works, and low-resolution videos to large-scale sculptural installations. An innovator in the use of technology, Campbell integrates and manipulates computers and custom electronics into visually arresting artworks. Click here for more info or to submit an event of your own

Homeless man found dead on tracks of Queens subway station

A homeless man was found dead on the tracks of a Queens subway station early Tuesday, police said. Read more: New York Daily News

New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders negotiated over property tax relief, charter schools and prekindergarten funding Monday – with a budget deadline looming in a week. Read more: CBS New York/AP

Unsanctioned subway buskers, vendors feel NYPD’s wrath

The NYPD is putting the heat on churro sellers, subway acrobats, and other underground peddlers and panhandlers. Read more: New York Post

Majority of New York voters oppose having DREAM Act in state budget: poll

Police are looking for the father of two young girls who were discovered fatally stabbed inside their Jamaica home Sunday night with their mother, police said.

Miguel Mejia-Ramos, 28, who is a suspect in the case, is known to drive a white 2001 Chevrolet commercial van with the license plate 22128MD and a white 1995 Dodge Suburban with the license plate GHS2798, according to the NYPD.

Deisy Garcia, 21, and her children, Daniela Mejia, 2, and Yaslin Mejia, 1, were found just after 7 p.m. in a bedroom of their Sutphin Boulevard apartment, cops said. Each victim had multiple stab wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Photo by Robert Stridiron

Garcia was reportedly a frequent churchgoer and her local parish, Iglesia Naciones Unidas en Cristo, said “our cry for her family [is] that God will fill them with peace and strength.”

“We give thanks to God for the years He gave her and for all the time we were able to share with her and her marvelous daughters,” they said.

Garcia, a native of Guatemala, was also a student at York College, according to her Facebook page.

Miguel Mejia-Ramos

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or can text their tips to CRIMES (274637), then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.

A two-alarm fire at a Flushing retirement home Thursday killed a 73-year-old woman, police said.

The fire broke out just after midnight in an apartment at Flushing House, located on Bowne Street near 38th Avenue, according to the NYPD. Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze about 3o minutes later.

Responding officers found a woman, who police identified as Natalie Blatt, inside the apartment, and she was taken to Flushing Hospital where she was pronounced dead, cops said. No one else was injured or displaced as a result of the blaze.

Born Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela in Transkei, South Africa, the world renowned civil rights activist went on to become South Africa’s first black president as well as a major mover in the fight to end the South African apartheid regime. His efforts and continuous activism earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

Mandela was hospitalized in April 2013 for 18 days due to a lung infection. He had previously been treated for gall stones in December 2012. His last public appearance was in July 2010 at the World Cup in South Africa.

Following Mandela’s passing, national and local leaders offered their condolences and spoke of his legacy.

“We will not likely see the likes of Nelson Mandela again,” said President Obama. “So it falls to us as best we can to forward the example that he set: to make decisions guided not by hate, but by love; to never discount the difference that one person can make; to strive for a future that is worthy of his sacrifice.”

“When I presented Nelson Mandela with the Key to the City in 2005, he spoke passionately about the work of his foundation and his ongoing efforts to tackle the HIV/AIDS epidemic and many other important issues. He devoted his life to building a more just, equal and compassionate world, and we are all better for it, said Bloomberg. “On behalf of the people of the City of New York, I offer my sincere condolences to the Mandela family and the people of South Africa.”

One man was stabbed to death in Woodside and another was found injured next to him early Saturday morning, police said.

The identities of both victims were not yet released. They were taken to Elmhurst Hospital shortly before 5 a.m. on June 13, authorities said.

A 26-year-old Hispanic male was stabbed in the chest and died on arrival, cops said. The other victim, a 33-year-old Hispanic male, was stabbed in the torso but is said to be in stable condition.

The two were found in front of 68-10 Roosevelt Avenue.

Police said there are no arrests at this time, and the investigation is ongoing.

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UPDATE Sunday, July 14:

The deceased has been identified as Isaac Martinez, 26, of Astoria.

Police describe the suspect as either a Hispanic or Asian male, 5 feet 3 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 120 to 170 pounds. He has dark hair and was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans.

The suspect, authorities say, fled in a dark colored older model sedan with decals on both front panels. The vehicle may have a shattered rear window.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto Crime Stoppers website or can text their tips to CRIMES (274637), then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.